The Battle of Ruapekapeka (Northland) Ruapekapeka, North Island, New Zealand
By NZWide on 09-Jan-04. Waypoint GCHFR8

I Have taken over this cache from NZWide Will unarchive once I have had a chance to check on the cache

7.30pm. Enjoyed the walk and visiting Ruapekapeka Pa site. Glad the cache hunt didn't take too long as the light amongst the Puriri was fading fast.
+ Toy dart gun, Tiger spinning top & Ronald McDonald
- Parrot bird soft toy & TB.
Many thanks
M&P & B.

This entry was edited by Just Floundering on Friday, 08 August 2014 at 07:26:15 UTC.

A really wet day to wander on a really slippery hill. After getting thoroughly soaked it was time to continue the slippery hunt. cache was located and was so dry I was afraid to open it. After a hastily scawled note it was time to say goodby to Seth so that he could listen to the sounds of the old battle.

Just recently I opened an online account, therefore this late logging. Found this cache together with 2whiskers on Feb 1.
No trade.
Thanks a lot.

Was heading towards Whangarei from Kaitiai when I spotted the sign and decided to take a quick left to break the journey.

The name Ruapekapeka was familiar because (for once) I had actually read the description of this cache a few days earlier - before leaving home for our trip to and around the "winterless north". However I didn't recall the details at the time of the visit and had no printout, etc.

Anyway, it turned out to be a very interesting place to visit, and I was doubly happy to notice the etrex pointing to a location not too far away when I turned it on (hopefully) in the car-park. Over the last 100m or so, the ground had been mostly washed bare down to the clay so it was a slippery walk down to the final spot - no satellite cover either.

I circled the spot and started to worry that this was going to be yet another in my string of recent "not founds" but then spotted a likely hide and there it was. Thanks for the diversion. No swops made.

Arrived here fairly late in the day with three generations of Zorgon hunters and we pretty much had the place to enjoy by ourselves. We started off down the bottom at the British artilliary position then wandered up the hill reading all of the informative sign boards. Just love these historical caches! There appears to have been a huge amount of water flowing down around the cache location; it took a bit of finding but is safe and sound. Saw that EvilC had visited earlier in the day - a pity we didn't bump into each other. TNLN

We had never seen such a magnificent stand of puriri trees before, especially the hugest one! Took Lonely Cowbell Travel Bug and although fully intended to leave a coloured marker pen this was still in my pocket when I got back to the car, so left nothing.
Thanks for the cache
Conton

Well, another location we'd never had come across without GC. Due to the drizzling rain we were alone on the site. The vegetation quite impressed us when entering the woods. Thanks a lot for showing this place!
I hope the Lonely Cowbell won't stay alone for long...

In: TB Lonely Cowbell (will upload a photo later)
Out: Nursery rhymes book

Stopped in on our way north to the BOI for the regatta week ... great stop in the shade, with views and the forest. Meet our first Northland mossies !

Full cache,coffee sache,flannel,book,Penguin,Shower Cap,Bullet shells,Body Lotion,2way plug,kiwi,pipe fitting,Nursery Rhym book .... NTNL ....

Thanks for guiding us to the location

Nice walk with some shady relief from the burning hot sun.
Out - 303 shell & Fishing Lures
In - Golfing Kiwi & Instant Coffee

Cheers

11.52am. A bit of a muddy scramble after all the rain. Watch your step it's very slippery down there! Impressive trees.
+ 2x Gun Shells (Empty)
- Large Shell (not from gun, from the beach)
Thanks NZWide for the cache
Cheers M+S

Our first geocache--and we're hooked. We had been planning a trip to Ruapekapeka Pa for a long time, but this helped us get going on it and and made it even more enjoyable. Thanks

Last time I was here was to log this site for the Historic Forts locationless cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=40f3d412-d24b-483d-9d89-ff0225e2e932 . I'd also taken the bush walk so I knew where to go. DoC have made vast improvements to the site since then.
+ Rosella toy
- mini stanley knife
Thanks, M@

The weather had been foul but cleared up a little so we decided to take a look.
Also searching was Caroleetess we both missed the obvious path in an effort to keep satellites in view and had to slip and slide for a while searching for the right tree. we both lost lock so had to rely on the clues but both got there in the end.
Thanks NZWide for the incentive to visit this interesting and well set up site.

GPS lost lock about 40m out from the cache, so resorted to scurrying around looking for the seat. Partner was watching all the activity and pointed out a possible spot without moving from the path. Of course, it just happened to be the right one. Doh!. TNLNSL. Thanks for the cache - I used to live up this way and must have driven past the turnoff hundreds of times, but it took a cache to get me up here.

3rd and final cache of the day. Interesting place with history and great views. Good hide took a while.
Nothing out Put in blade knife and double plug.

Thanks [^]

Did cache whilst visiting NZ. Some scary drivers along the road to TNLNSN

I stumbled upon this cache and thought it was someones old lunch (i didn't know about geocaching then)! What a fantastic idea, and a great site under the trees.
Can't wait to find my next cache!
Cheers,
stumbled.

After visiting the battlefield, we searched for the 'natural seat'. After some time we found the right one, and the cache.
The cache is in good condition.
Thanks to NZwide for showing us this place.
IN: screw driver tool set
Out: Notebook
Reiner & Jutta from Germany

Love the combo of history and geocache. Brought a neophyte with us. He's hooked--as we knew he would be.

Nice easy find in a lovely spot doc have indeed done a great job on this site well done to them.
Started my working career in the local garage in towai
OUT:I love NZ kiwi
IN:10 scurry tb,color pencils

We had heard that DoC had done a lot of work here then saw the new cache so rushed off to see it. They have done a great job with all the information avaliable, gives a clear idea of what happened there.
Loved the bush and the tree was a beauty.
We were first, great stuff.
In B Potter book out golfball towel.
Thanks for the cache, good to see a bit of history in the flesh as it were!!

The pa site is very interesting. I love the way it is laid out with the explanation boards, they have done a lot of good work here since I was last in this area. Cool cache site (under the trees on a hot day). Thank you

Last time I was here, it was at dawn, the cloud was blowing through the trees and there were a lot of ghosts of the past. Today it was a totally different place in the hot & still days of summer.
GPS held lock right to the end. A quick sit down to assess the situation revealed probable cache location in good time. Certainly a fine Vitex sp. specimen and in good health too. Please respect the Wahi Tapu of this site (no eating or picnics at the pa itself). Took memories and trash, left footprints and a log entry. Thanks for a neat location.